Challenge 14: Dress
by TheArchAngel'sDemoness
Summary: When Clow comes into view for our heroes, how will they deal with all of their emotions and their turmoil? Will they split in anger or with love? KuroXFai SyaoranXSakura And the Pork Bun of course.
1. Chapter 1

[Bitch: I had so many ideas for this prompt. I laughed really hard when I read number 14. So many great images came to mind. I didn't go for them though because this one overpowered those. Sorry that it's been a few days since I updated, I've had senior pictures and everything. Hope this makes up for it. XD Anyway, hope you enjoy.

This is number fourteen in the challenge. Please read the others if you enjoy this. Again, this started out as an art challenge. (These will not necessarily be in order, connected in any way, or even in the same universe/manga/anime/book/series.)]

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa. I am not making profit off the following message except in reviews, for which I ask shamelessly.

P.S. If you do NOT like yaoi or shounen-ai, please turn back now. All flames regarding homosexuality will be ignored by this bisexual libertarian. Please and thank you. XD

Challenge: # 14 Dress

Fai's POV

I yawned and rolled over in my nice warm, comfy bed. Kuro's arm pulled me against his solid body. I smiled and snuggled closer. He was so warm.

"Good morning." His voice was deeper than usual from slumber.

"Mmm... 'Morning." I opened my eye. He was looking at me with those crimson eyes and a small smile on his lips. I gave him a smile. A real one.

"How do you you feel?" he asked with a bit of concern.

I smiled. "I'll let you know when I move. And you? How are you feeling this fine morning?" I ran my fingers through his soft hair.

He closed his eyes and pushed against my hand. "Tired. Absolutely tired." He looked at me. "In a very good way."

I laughed. "I'm glad that I was the first one to exhaust the famous samurai. I feel honoured."

"You'll be the last, mage, if I have anything to say about it," he growled with a ferocious look on his face.

I laughed again. "And you do have a lot to say about it. I could start quoting some of those very sweet things you were saying last night right before you fell asleep." I leaned up and whispered back one of the mushier things he'd said.

He blushed deeply. "Something about you has made me soft, mage. For some reason though, I don't mind as much as I should." He covered my smile with his mouth. He pressed our bodies close together. He pulled away slowly, nipping my lip.

"Mmm..." was the only sound I made for a moment. Then I remembered where we were and what was going on later today. "Kurogane, we have to get up."

He growled with that adorable expression again. "You're not getting away, mage." To punctuate his sentence, he squeezed my waist, rubbing our nether regions together.

I moaned softly against my will. "Kuro, stop. We have to get up. We have things to do today. Or have I made you forget everything?" I smiled. "How cute. Think about it."

He looked like he'd rather do anything else, but he considered it. Then he groaned and flopped back onto his pillow. "Ugh. I almost forgot. And I was looking forward to hearing you scream again."

I blushed. I had been rather vocal. I glared at him lightly, then gave in and smiled. "So was I. Now, let me up. I have things I need to do."

I tried to wriggle away, but he pulled me back for another kiss. "Go take care of the kids," he said once he'd sated his immediate thirst. "I really don't want to get into that complicated robe. It's worse than the ones in Nihon," he complained.

I laughed and kissed him again. "I know. Mine's the same. Come on. Up." I got up and stretched. My muscles were sore in all the right places. "Mmm..." I looked over my shoulder. Kuro was lying there with a content smirk. I just smiled and shook my head. Men.

I scratched beneath my troublesome eyepatch that Syaoran had given me. I'd finally come to terms with the fact he'd sacrificed something so important for me. I looked back at him, still lying in bed. I crawled back over to him and kissed him. "Thank you, Kurogane."

He looked confused. "For what?"

I smiled. "For giving me so much. For saving me when I didn't want to be saved."

His face darkened at the memory. "I did it out of selfishness."

"I'm glad you did. Otherwise, we wouldn't have this." I kissed him again.

"So... you're really glad to be alive?" He sounded skeptical.

I didn't smile. "Yes, but I'm more glad to be sharing my life with you."

He grunted and didn't look at me for a long moment. "Go get ready. You have a lot to do and so do I." He pulled me in for a kiss. I ran a hand over the metallic substance that substituted what he'd given up for me. I wanted to take back that moment in time, but even I couldn't do that.

I pulled away and said something that I'd never told anyone else. "I love you, Kurogane."

His eyes widened slightly. Then his face straightened. "Yeah, love you too, Fai."

I pressed a kiss to his mouth and finally got off the bed and into my clothes, flinching a couple of times when something touched tender muscles.

[Bitch: I know that this chapter has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROMPT. I know that. There will be a chapter two, possibly a three and four. I'm setting up for the prompt to come in later. And possibly a sequel. This is the first one in this series that I've done that will be more than a oneshot. There will be more, I assure you. We shall see how this turns out, because you should know by now that I never plan anything. Hope you enjoyed. XD Please review if you liked it and even if you didn't. And don't forget to read the others if you haven't already. Much loves. XD B.]


	2. Chapter 2

[Bitch: Here you are, chapter deux. Took me forever to get to this one because I'm in the middle of a huge brick wall and can't go around it. XD Anyway, hope you enjoy.]

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa. I am not making profit off the following message except in reviews, for which I ask shamelessly.

P.S. If you do NOT like yaoi or shounen-ai, please turn back now. All flames regarding homosexuality will be ignored by this bisexual libertarian. Please and thank you. XD

Challenge: # 14 Dress

Kurogane's POV

I watched the mage get dressed. I thought about all of the things he'd just said and considered. It was a fucked up reason that we'd come to be together but it was oddly, wonderfully, backwardly, strangely, perfect that we were where we were. Everything really did happen for a reason. [A/N: Moan helped me out right there. I was kinda stuck. :)]

He looked back at me from buttoning my shirt over his chest. It was a boost to my ego that he liked my clothes so much that he stole them on a regular basis. "Kuro-sama, get up," he whined.

I just snorted and rolled out of bed. I was buck naked and moved to him. He tried to get away, laughing, but I caught him by the wrist and pulled him to me. "What have I told you about those names, mage?" I demanded in mock anger. His amber eye glittered up at me in mischief. He stood on his toes and licked the pulse under my jaw. In the same place where he'd bitten me last night [A/N: Can you see it? I think it's pretty hot.]. I couldn't repress my groan. "Mage," I warned. I caught his chin in my hand and turned his face up to mine. "Stop. And save your ability to play dirty, for tonight." I kissed him hard. His hair slid across his face. His small smile did something weird to my lower abdomen, making it flutter in an uncomfortable way.

"I plan to, Kuro-sama," he said in a low voice. Then, he spun out of my grip and laughed as he slipped through the door into the hallway. I almost went after him but remembered that I was naked. "Damn mage." I shook my head. I gave up and went to find my clothes. He'd taken the shirt I'd worn the day before so I grabbed a clean one from a drawer and pulled it on. I was not looking forward to getting into the robes later so I made the best of it and wore comfortable clothing until absolutely necessary. I pulled on pants and grabbed Ginryū before heading off to find the kid.

I went to his room and found him sitting in the middle of his bed. He was looking out the window. He looked around when he heard the door close. He looked more than a little lost.

"Hey, kid." I already felt awkward, but I was going to do my best.

"Hello, Kurogane-sama. Please come in," he said as politely as he could. But I heard the tremor in his voice.

I went and sat on the edge of the bed and laid Ginryū across my lap. "It's going to be alright, kid. They say the waiting's the worst part."

He looked back out the window. "Yeah, I guess. Have you ever done this before?"

I smiled. "No, I haven't. I do know that it will work out right though." It wasn't as hard as I would have thought to talk to him to get his nerves to settle. I thought of the kid more as mine than anything. He was the closest thing to a son that I'd ever had.

He sat quietly for a long moment. "I've been fighting for so long, I don't know what to do now that I don't have to."

I thought on that for a moment. "You'll go right on fighting. There are always things to be fought for, to protect. Your focus may have changed, but that instinct is still there." The same was true for myself.

"You're right," he sighed. He looked back at me with solemn brown eyes. "I need to do something before I go crazy. Would you mind training with me until..."

I nodded, smirking. "I was hoping you'd ask that." I needed to burn off the edge Fai had given me that morning before he'd slipped away.

He got up and we headed for the training yard.

[Bitch: Yo. This was kind of a boring chapter. Anyway, I've decided to split up their POVs into individual chapters. I have a question. Has anyone figured out what's going on? I'll give you a cookie if you guess right. XD Hope you liked this rather boring chapter. We'll get around to the prompt soon enough. XD Much love, B.]


	3. Chapter 3

[Bitch: Here you are, chapter tres. As a forewarning, I don't like this chapter, but it's necessary. XD Anyway, hope you enjoy.]

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa. I am not making profit off the following message except in reviews, for which I ask shamelessly.

P.S. If you do NOT like yaoi or shounen-ai, please turn back now. All flames regarding homosexuality will be ignored by this bisexual libertarian. Please and thank you. XD

Challenge: #14 Dress

Sakura's POV

I twitched and fidgeted. I didn't like standing still for so long. "Fai-san, when can I move?" I asked, trying not to sound too impatient. He was trying to help.

"Almost done, Princess." He tugged a few more times. "Alright. Finished."

I sagged in relief. "Thank goodness." I smiled at Fai. "Thank you." To distract myself from what I was doing, I asked something I'd been wondering since Fai had come to my room. "Fai-san, why are you wearing Kurogane-sama's shirt?" I came back out and saw pink fading from his face.

"Long story," he mumbled.

"I have the time." I smiled. "At least, until tonight." I already knew some of what was going on, I just needed to hear if I was right. I hoped I was right.

"Well... I don't know if I should be the one telling you this," he hedged.

I sat across from him on my bed. I smiled again. "Then who else is going to tell me?"

He looked uncomfortable. At least it was better than that horrible smile. "You have a point." He sighed and looked over at the window. "Kurogane and I have been traveling together longer than any of us, even though Syaoran-kun saw everything. And you... Well, you had your own way of being there, too. But we've been together and have gone through too much together." He looked back at me, his golden eye haunted. "He's given too much. For me of all people. And I've accepted that. Do you know why, Princess?"

I shook my head, almost in tears at the sheer power of the emotions in his voice and face.

I saw how much it hurt him to admit the next part. "Because I'm in love with him. And he did those things for me because he's in love with me too."

I gasped. He'd just admitted something I hadn't believed he ever would. I launched at him in a hug. He was surprised and almost fell over. "Oh, Fai-san! This is wonderful!" I grinned and pulled away to look at his face. He didn't look like he agreed with me. "What's wrong, Fai-san?"

He shook his head. "I guess I'm still afraid Ashura is going to come after us. All of us. I know he's dead but I've been pushing everyone away for so long that it's hard to accept that they care for me regardless."

I nodded. "We all care about you. And you know Kurogane-sama would never let anything happen to you. So you don't have to worry about us. We can take care of each other. You just have to trust us to take care of you, too."

He laid a hand on my hair. "When did you grow up so much?" He gave me a small smile.

I shrugged and smiled back. "Over time."

We heard the chimes of the clock tower. "Oh, goodness," Fai said. "Is that the time? We have to get dressed."

I nodded. I'd honestly forgotten why he was here. I'd gotten distracted. Once he reminded me though, I felt a tight ball of nervousness curl up in my stomach for a nap. "Fai, should we be doing this?"

He looked up at me from his position in front of the window. He smiled. "Of course. If it's what makes you happy, then you should always do it."

I took a deep breath to steady myself. "That goes for you, too."

He looked shocked for a moment then chuckled. "Yes, I suppose it does."

[Bitch: I don't like this chapter, but it had to happen. Anyway, leave me a review. I'll love you forever. If you guess what's going on, I'll give you a cookie. XD Much love, B.]


	4. Chapter 4

_[Bitch: Chapter four, for you. XD I like this chapter a lot better than I did chapter three. Aren't you proud of me for updating so much? Chapter five will be up soon as well. XD Anyway, hope you enjoy.]_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa. I am not making profit off the following message except in reviews, for which I ask shamelessly._

_P.S. If you do NOT like yaoi or shounen-ai, please turn back now. All flames regarding homosexuality will be ignored by this bisexual libertarian. Please and thank you. XD_

_Challenge: #14 Dress_

_Syaoran's POV_

I dodged another swing from my teacher and friend. It was a near miss though.

"Damn kid. You're going to let me kill you before this is all over. Let's stop before you get hurt." Kurogane-sama sat on the ground under a tree.

I didn't want to stop. I didn't want to let my mind talk me out of anything important. I needed to move. So, I sat.

"You're letting your emotions control your actions," he observed.

I looked down. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just so hard when so much is going on inside my head and around me."

"Don't be sorry."

I jerked my head up to look at him. "What?"

He didn't look at me. "It's true that the mark of a warrior is to be able to control one's emotions, but, sometimes, your raw emotions are the only things that let you get through what needs to be done. They help you survive. Sometimes, they're stronger than your instincts. They can help you protect what or who you have to."

That was possibly the longest I'd heard him speak on emotions. I thought on it for a moment. "Like when you saved Fai-san all those times." It wasn't a question. I'd seen it all, watched the proceeds and the way they were together. I knew.

His face flushed and he made a face of displeasure. "Yes," he admitted grudgingly. "Like those times. I let my emotions guide me." He lifted his metallic hand up and flexed his fingers. "All those times," he muttered.

I thought for long moments. He sat silently beside me, considering his hand.

"Syaoran, I need to ask your advice on something," he said slowly. Nevertheless, I was still shocked.

I looked up at my teacher. He was looking far off. "Sure. What do you need?" I'd do whatever I could for him because he'd helped us so much.

He sighed as if he were very put-upon. "Well..."

_[Bitch: -Evil, maniacal laughter- What is Kuro-poo going to ask Syaoran? You'll have to keep reading to find out. This was a short chapter, but I like it. Hope you did too. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think. XD Much love, B.]_


	5. Chapter 5

_[Bitch: Chapter five, as promised. XD This chapter made me laugh a couple of times when I wrote it. I hope you do as well. XD Anyway, hope you enjoy.]_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa. I am not making profit off the following message except in reviews, for which I ask shamelessly._

_P.S. If you do NOT like yaoi or shounen-ai, please turn back now. All flames regarding homosexuality will be ignored by this bisexual libertarian. Please and thank you. XD_

_Challenge: #14 Dress_

_Fai's POV_

I tied the bolt of heavy material around my waist, then grabbed my ornamental eyepatch that Sakura had made me for this special occasion. I smiled as I tied it on.

I heard an odd noise behind me and a childish voice called out, "Fai-san!"

I turned, alarmed. "What's wrong Mokana?"

The white creature bounced up into my waiting hands. "Nothing. Mokana just missed you!" he cried. [A/N: For all intents and purposes, Mokana is going to be a boy in this story because I don't like calling him an 'it' just because we don't know which sex he is.]

I smiled and petted it's fuzzy head. "I missed you, too, Mokana. Where have you been all day?" I turned my head to watch him bounce onto my shoulder. The jewels attached to the bottom of my patch tickled my cheek when they swayed.

Mokana's little paw pressed against my face in it's version of a hug. I held his little fuzzy body to my face for a moment. "Mokana's been in the kitchens and going around the palace. This is such a big place!"

"I hope you haven't bothered the staff," I teased.

Mokana huffed. "I did not. They gave me food and directions when Mokana asked."

I laughed and petted him again. "I believe you. Would you like to put your headdress on now?"

He nodded vigorously. "Yes. Sakura had it made especially for Mokana in town yesterday."

I nodded. "Yes, she told me." I took it out of the box and laid the loop of metal and jewels onto Mokana's little head, then I clasped the loops around his ears so it wouldn't slide off.

"How do I look?" Mokana asked as he bounced in front of the mirror.

"Like royalty," I said, smiling. I finally realized that we were missing a part of our trio. The realization made my abdomen feel empty. "I wonder where Kuro-poo is. He and Syaoran-kun should have been here a while ago," I mused aloud.

Mokana spoke up again. "Mokana saw them in the training yard this morning, but they were gone a few minutes ago." The jewels on his head glittered as his ears twitched.

I heard on knock on the door and my heart jumped in hope. "Yes?"

Syaoran stuck his head through the door. I tried to hide my disappointment. "I'm sorry to bother you, Fai-san, but could you help me get dressed?"

I nodded. "Of course." I went to the door and gave the room a worried backward glance. Where was Kurogane? "Mokana, will you stay here and wait for Kuro-rin?"

He nodded and hopped off my shoulder to the bed.

I helped Syaoran get into his robes. His were a bit more complicated than mine, but we figured them out. I decided to ask him. "Syaoran-kun, have you seen Kuro-poo?"

"Yes," he nodded as I tugged on a stubborn loop. "We trained before I came to get you to help me. He said he was going to bathe and get dressed."

I nodded and mentally sighed. He was safe. The possessive part of me was appeased for the moment. "Thank you." I tucked the last of the wrapping around his waist and smoothed out the shoulders of his robes. His shoulders had gotten wider since we'd started our journey. I noticed he'd gotten to be almost my height. I stepped back and looked him over. He looked like a young man now instead of a boy. The paternal part of me gave a hum of satisfaction. "You look very handsome."

He blushed. "Thank you, Fai-san."

I saw the timid boy we'd started the journey with for a moment instead of the brave young man he'd become. I smiled. There was still some innocence in him and that gave me hope that everyone had some left.

"Well, I should go check on Kuro-san. Are you alright now?" I meant more than just the clothes.

He smiled with warm brown eyes. "Yes, thank you again."

I nodded and left, going in search of a certain samurai. I found him, cursing profusely at his robes. I just watched, trying to contain my laughter. He must have heard me. He looked up at me and glared. "I don't want to hear it."

I just shook my head and went to help. "You're not the only one I've helped dress today." I kissed him before I helped him get the outer robe on straight over the thinner one underneath. He pulled me to him with his arms around my waist when I tried to get the tie for Ginryū. His eyes were hot. He leaned down and kissed me a bit more thoroughly than I'd kissed him. I heard myself moan softly. I got lightheaded and remembered to breathe. I felt a tug at the base of my neck. He arousal pushed against me even through all of the cloth we were wearing. He pulled his mouth away slowly. My eye slid open and found him smirking at me. He held up the blue ribbon I'd used to tie my hair back. "I like it better down," he murmured. He kissed me again and ran his fingers through it.

I pulled him closer and let his tongue slide into my mouth. I felt my blood run hot and fast. I pulled away, breathing hard. "Kurogane, we can't do this right now."

"The hell we ca-" he started angrily.

"No, we can't. We have responsibilities. I have to get you dressed. We have to be downstairs soon. As much as I want to do this, we can't. Not now."

His eyes cooled some. "You're right But don't think you've escaped the subject," he said fiercely. His hold loosened.

I grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it." I pecked his lips and went to get the tie for Ginryū. I watched as he expertly tied the sword on. He'd done it a million times before and I still liked to watch. I shook myself out of my fascination and went to my drawer. I pulled out the wooden box I'd been hiding for three days. I held it behind my back.

"Kurogane." He looked up from straightening his robes one final time. "I have something for you." He looked confused as I walked up to him with my hands behind me. I held the small polished box out to him. He took it carefully and opened it. His eyes widened and looked back up at me. "It symbolizes our journey."

He pulled the heavy linked short chain out and studied it. I'd made sure to design something that wouldn't insult his masculinity so he would wear it. There were runes engraved in the back for protection. I knew I'd hit pay dirt when he undid the clasp and held it out to me. I took it and wrapped it around his right wrist, closing the latch. I turned it until the symbol was on top of his arm the single silver wing shown in the sunlight. He grabbed my fingers in his and pulled me against him again. His crimson eyes were unreadable. "Thank you, Fai," he said softly before he hugged me close.

I wrapped my arms around his wide shoulders. "You're welcome." The clock tower sounded again. "We need to go."

He released me slowly and nodded.

_[Bitch: Don't kill me. I don't know why I made Fai give Kurogane-sama the bracelet. He just kept pestering me until I gave in. He wanted to do it, so I let him. Hope you liked it. Tell me what you think. XD Much love, B.]_


	6. Chapter 6

_[Bitch: This chapter kind of depressed me when I wrote it. DX This one took a little bit longer to get out because I didn't have it pre-written and I had a dentist appointment. I hope you like it. We've finally gotten around to the prompt. There will be more than one POV in this chapter so I hope you all enjoy._

_This is the last chapter and here we end. Take your time, my good friend.]_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa. I am not making profit off the following message except in reviews, for which I ask shamelessly._

_P.S. If you do NOT like yaoi or shounen-ai, please turn back now. All flames regarding homosexuality will be ignored by this bisexual libertarian. Please and thank you. _

_Challenge: #14 Dress_

_Kurogane's POV_

I looked down at my wrist. The metal was cool on my skin. It clinked when I touched it with my metal fingers. The mage had a way of doing things and getting the result he wanted by giving whoever happened to be his prey at the time what they wanted. I shook my head and smiled.

Syaoran looked over at me. His hands were slightly shaking and his brow was pinched in silent panic. I laid a hand on his shoulder and felt him tremble. "Kid, it's going to be alright." I'd never seen him so afraid.

His eyes were huge brown orbs in his face. "I know that, but I just can't stop shaking." Even his voice shook.

"Syaoran, you're going to do just fine. Nothing's going to go wrong." I couldn't really think of anything else to say. I needed Fai for this kind of thing.

"I think I need to sit down." He turned and nearly fell into the nearest chair.

I said a few choice curses. If he passed out, Fai would kill me. I took him by the back of the neck and shoved his head between his knees. "Breathe. You'll be alright in a minute." He did as he was told. The shakes subsided slowly. He sat up and looked a little better. He wasn't as pale as he had been.

"Thank you, Kurogane-sama." He gave me a shallow smile.

"Call me Kurogane, kid. You've earned it." He had. I just hadn't thought to tell him so until now.

His eyes widened slightly. "Alright... Kurogane." He stood up and looked as if he would make it without passing out.

I looked around the small room. "It should be passed time. I wonder what's going on," I said.

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Sakura's POV

I tugged at my dress. "Fai-san, I..." I pulled in a shallow breath in panic. "I-I don't..." My knees wobbled and I grabbed his arm.

"Sakura-chan!" He grabbed me around the waist before I fell. He put me into a chair. "Sakura-chan, are you alright?"

I pulled in shallow breaths. "I... don't... I don't think I can do this," I managed.

"Put your head down, Princess. Breathe deeply," he said soothingly. I did as he said. His hand made patterns on my back. "Everything's going to be fine." He repeated that over and over until I could breathe. I sat up slowly. "Thank you, Fai."

He squeezed my hand. "It's alright, Sakura. Really." He smiled at me.

I felt an answering smile pull at my lips. "I'm alright." I stood on my own and went to the mirror to straighten myself. With one last pull, I turned to Fai. I took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready."

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Fai's POV

I watched her pull herself together. She was stronger than everyone gave her credit for. Even me. When she said she was ready, I smiled and went to tell the man outside to go tell Kurogane and Syaoran.

I turned back to her and admired how beautiful she made the dress I'd made her. The dress was white with pink designs reminiscent of the outfit she'd come to us in. She was gorgeous though because of her smile. The soft white waterfall of fabric that fell from her crown would cover her face in a few moments.

I gave in to my paternal instinct and hugged her. "You're beautiful," I said against her hair.

She squeezed me back. "Thank you, Fai. For everything."

The man came back. When he opened the door, we heard the music of the Princess's home. Clow. "Princess, it's time," he said with a smile.

She stepped back. "Fai, if you will."

Gone was the girl. The queen-to-be had arrived. I smiled and lifted the cloth to cover her face. Only the faint outline of her face could be seen. I tucked her arm through mine and turned toward the large doors. When they opened, the people of her country rose. Some were already in tears of happiness for their beloved princess. Some were getting there with happy smiles.

I looked to the front. Sakura's brother and his priest stood on a dais in full regalia. Syaoran stood next to Kurogane. He looked a little pale against the black of his robes. The green dragon wrapping around his body made him look older than he should have. His smile told me that he was so happy to be standing in front of this huge crowd. Kurogane stood to his left with Mokana on the shoulder of his robes. I'd seen him earlier but the way he stood there, strong behind the boy who he thought of as son made him seem different somehow. The red on his robes matched the colour of his eyes. The dragon matched the warrior within. Our eyes met for a brief moment and he gave me a small smile that I returned.

As we drew closer to the dais, Sakura's hold on my arm tightened. Syaoran's eyes were locked on her. I could feel her tense up only a few steps from him. I patted her hand and she relaxed.

We stopped three feet short of the dais and bowed before the king. He smiled at his sister. I released Sakura and turned towards her. I lifted the cloth from her face and wasn't surprised to find unshed tears in her eyes. I smiled and kissed her forehead and bowed to her. She smiled as I turned to stand beside Kurogane. I took my place and watched as they knelt before the two men that would give them eternity together.

Yukito bound them in magic and Touya bound them in name and duty. Syaoran would rule as king should he die. All formalities were spoken of. I felt tears stream down my face in a mixture of happiness and ultimate sadness.

_Kurogane's POV_

When the doors opened, I noticed the princess first. Fai had made her dress to resemble the one from the beginning. She filled it out a bit better than she had back then. The white shroud covered her face and hid her blinding smile from everyone.

My eyes drifted over to the man walking her down the aisle. He was smiling in the realest way I'd ever seen him. He'd left his hair down and I smirked. I couldn't believe he'd actually listened. His black ceremonial robes had a dark blue dragon that wound its way around his body, its head resting on his shoulder. At that moment, I envied an embroidered animal. The blue jewels on his patch matched the designs the princess herself had sewn onto it. I'd never tell her so, but I thought Fai was more spectacular than the princess right then. His eye finally met mine and I smiled. No, I'd never tell her.

I watched as he did his part and left her at the dais with Syaoran. He came to stand beside me. I felt better when he was nearer. I hadn't seen him in an hour and I'd started to feel on edge.

Touya told them of their duties and Yukito bound them together. I noticed Fai crying beside me. I touched his arm with my hand and he laced our fingers together. I knew how he felt. A part of me was aching because the children we'd considered ours were no longer children and were getting married. I was happy for them, but, at the same time, I was sad for the end of an era in my life.

The little fuzzball on my shoulder was holding onto my neck with his little paws. I heard him trying not to cry. I sympathized just this once and held onto him with my other hand. He was loosing a part of himself too.

We watched silently as Syaoran finally got to kiss his Princess. They were both blushing. Sakura was crying and her brother was laughing.

The people of their country stood and cheered.

I stood with Fai and Mokana. We remained silent even though we were happy. We were mourning that little feeling of family we'd had for just a brief moment in time. I pulled Fai against my side and wrapped my arm around him. We still had them, but they weren't just ours any longer. We were to share them with a whole other world.

"It's odd isn't it? Trying to feel happy when all you feel is sadness," Fai said from beside me.

I nodded. "I'm happy for them, really. But I'm going to miss it. All of it."

He leaned into me. "I thought of them as ours, you know," he said softly.

I looked down at him. "So did I."

He looked up at me. His eye showed me the sadness that he'd never tell anyone about.

He didn't have to say anything though. "Yeah, I know."

The party would rage on for weeks and depending on what happened, even longer. If Sakura got pregnant, the party wouldn't end until the baby was a year old, then they would have something else to celebrate. With the way she was looking at Syaoran, who was talking to her brother, I was betting on it.

"Come on. We'll give them our congratulations then go to bed."

He nodded.

We ventured forward and put on a good face, convincing all involved that we were ecstatic about the marriage. We would be. Eventually. We begged off of food and drink and went to our room, Mokana staying behind to celebrate with the happy couple.

I closed the door behind us. Fai stood in the middle of the room, hugging himself. I turned him to me and held him close.

"I don't want this to end. Is that horrible of me?" he said against my neck.

"No, because I don't either."

"I know they'll be happy together, but I wish it was just us again. I'm being selfish, but I can't help it. As far as I'm concerned, those are our kids," he said looking up at me.

I wiped away the tears that had escaped the corner of his eye. "I know, Fai. I know." I kissed him. He held onto my arms hard. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

He nodded and moved a step back. He untied Ginryū and I pulled the bow out of his sash. We undressed each other slowly. I picked up his lithe form and slid into bed with him held tight against me. We were quiet for a long time. I'd thought he'd fallen asleep when he finally spoke. "Kurogane, I need to feed," he said quietly.

I nodded. "Alright."

He shifted on top of me. I tilted my head to one side. He kissed me before he moved to my neck. I held his mouth to mine for a long moment with a hand in his hair. He pulled away and trailed his mouth along my jaw to my pulse. My heart-rate accelerated when he pressed an open-mouthed kiss to my neck. I tilted my head more to give him room. His fangs slid into me slowly. The pain lasted only a moment then he pulled. I moaned at the drawing sensation that went straight to my toes. He pulled again and I wrapped my arm around his waist. It was the same as it had been the night before. The sensation clouded my mind. All I knew was I needed more of the shocks going through my system.

The waves of electricity stopped and I groaned in disappointment. I came down from my cloud of sensation. Fai was pressing kisses to my neck when I realized what was going on. I brought his face up to mine and kissed him. I tasted my blood in his mouth. He moane. I rolled us over and took control.

I kissed my way down his neck and left a mark on his shoulder. "Mine," I mumbled against his skin. I let my mouth wander lower over his pale skin. I nuzzled my face into his lower stomach. His fingers stroked through my hair. I nipped below his belly-button, getting a strangled laugh from him. I stayed like that for a long while. This was my comfort, having him so close. I may have had to let the kids go, but I'd be damned if the mage got away too. I looked up at him. He was smiling at me in a way that made my chest ache and my belly do flips.

"I love you, Fai." I pressed my face back into the soft skin of his stomach. I hated that I had trouble with emotions.

He tugged on my hair. I looked back up. "Love you, too, Kurogane." He pulled me back up his body and into a kiss.

Now was the time. We'd both lost something dear to us tonight, but I wanted to ease that pain.

With my mouth still on his, I slid my hand under my pillow. I closed my hand around the box. The wood was smooth under my fingers. I pulled my face back from his. He fairly glowed in the moonlight. The box was heavy. I almost couldn't lift it. I knew it was my own psyche weighing it down. I took a breath. He was smiling. He touched my face. I leaned against his thin fingers.

I felt like running and being sick all at the same time. I hated being nervous. So, being me, I said it without preamble. "Fai, marry me." I felt better. Less nauseous.

His eye widened and his mouth popped open. Surprise was good. It meant he hadn't decided on a "no" yet.

Before I could stop it, my tongue went on its own little tirade. "Fai, we've been together a long time. We've been through a hell of a lot. I want to go through a hell of a lot more. With you. At first, you were a silly mage. Now, you're still a silly mage, but you're mine." I felt my face heat up at the fact that I'd actually admitted that.

The shocked look faded as I spoke, replaced by a smirk. "Silly mage, eh?"

I nodded. I took a breath, swallowing my dignity as I held up the box. "Yes, a silly mage. Say yes. Please." Yup, I'd finally done it. I'd finally killed off the last bit of my dignity.

His mouth opened but he didn't say anything. Instead he took the polished box from me and opened it. He took the silver band out and looked at what I'd had engraved on it. "It... it's the same..." he whispered.

I nodded. "I didn't know about the bracelet until you gave it to me so I don't know how we did it." I took the band from him. "Say yes, Fai."

He was still so surprised I could actually feel it. His smile finally spread over his lips. "Yes, Kurogane."

I smiled, the knot in my stomach finally easing as I slid the band onto his finger. I kissed his palm then his lips.

The silver wing engraved on the band didn't stand for what we'd been through, as the bracelet did, but what we'd yet to see. Together.

"Love you, Kuro-sama."

I smiled. "Yeah, love you, too, mage."

_[Bitch: Oh my god. I can't believe it's over. I don't want it to end. -Sobs- I don't wanna. -Eats ice cream- Okay, I feel better. I hope you all enjoyed it. I want to thank all of you for sticking with me. I love you guys. To all of my reviewers, Thanks a million. XD With all the love I possess, B.]_


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